Re: Out of the 8, second year in a row
This is a terrific point, subsbligh. I've always felt there is a "she'll be right" and "close enough is good enough" mentality the last few years. It's very frustrating watching us match it with the top teams only to drift away late in the game. A classic example was the opening round of the 2012 season against Manly. We were content to just match it with them whereas they went for the win. As long as the effort is there, in other words.
Personally, there's nothing wrong with a mentality like that but it's tough to build a winning culture on it. To build a winning football team they need to be winning consistently and that means marrying the great effort they show (and tbh they do bust their arses more often than not despite the scoreline) with a hunger and desire to be the better team. I hope Bennett can provide that.
Why are our finals hopes looking forlorn?
Building a winning culture means building a team which does the absolute fundamentals 100%. That is Griffin's major shortcoming, but not only his, it goes right through the club, right back to the juniors, 20's etc.
Let's start with defence: tackling technique - hit, not grab and drag, line speed - in their face, aggression - hit to hurt and drive back like Tunza did, not sliding laterally but moving up on the ball runner.
Then there is attack: shape and structure - depth, composure and a repertoire of rehearsed set plays called by our play makers all over the field, using our strike weapons: Copley, Hodges, Gillett etc. as well as making Parker the focal point of 2nd phase plays all over the park.
Then there is mental toughness and consistency.
We have the talent, we don't need any more for next year. What we don't have is a team. That is Bennett's job.
The culture that needs changing is to coach the basics, the fundamentals of winning football from juniors up to 1st grade. At the moment, all that Hook has coached is ... well, I don't know if there is an answer to that. What has Hook achieved?
As for making the finals, of course we can do it, assuming a massive turn around in defence and attack, which somehow, I can't see happening. Hook's influence is too ingrained, but again, miracles do happen, but as has been the case far too often this year, it will come on the back of individual brilliance rather than a true team effort, as Souths showed so clearly the other night..
